Shaft-bearing.



No. 773,232. PATENTED 00T. 25, 1904.

f E. R. SMITH.

SHAFT BEARING.

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Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.-

EDIVIN R. SMITH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SHAFT-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,232, dated October 25, 1904. Application filed June 10, 1904. Serial N0.. 211,981. (No model.)

To (1J/Z whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buialo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a shaft-bearing designed more particularly for upright shafts or spindles which support comparatively heavy members, such as the upright shafts which carry the rotary bowls of meat-cutters.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple antifriction-bearing for such shafts which can be readily adjusted to take up wear of the parts and maintain the bowl or other part mounted on the shaft in its proper position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a meat-cutter provided with my improved bearing. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the bearing. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A indicates the rotary bowl of the meatcutter, B the stationary circular housing inclosing the same and supported upon legs b, as usual, and O the customary rotary cutters, mounted ona horizontal shaft c, extending across the top of the bowl.

D is the upright shaft which carries the bowl at its upper end and which is supported by my improved bearing. This bearing is constructed as follows: EE are bearing plates or disks, preferably of hardened steel, having central openings for the passage of the shaft D, and f indicates an annular.row of balls or rolling antifriction members interposed between said disks. disks loosely surround the shaft, and the lower disk rests upon a base-plate G, which is supported upon a bridge-tree H or similar support carried by the legs The shaft is provided with a stop or collar I, which rests upon the upper disk E, whereby the shaft and the bowl or other member mounted thereon is carried by the ball-bearing. The collar I is adjustably secured to the shaft by a set-screwz' or other suitable means. The balls f are prop- These bearingerly spaced by a suitable ball-retainer, the device shown in the drawings consisting of a' pair of parallel rings j, secured together by rivets j and having openings which receive the upper and lower portions of the balls.

In order to permit adjustment of the bearing to compensate for wear of the parts, the shaft is provided at its lower end with suitable lifting means. In the preferred construction (shown in the drawings) the shaft passes through an opening in the bridge-tree H and its lower end is seated in a depending socket K, secured to the under side of the bridge-tree. bottom with a screw-threaded opening for receiving a vertical lifting screw or bolt L, which bears against the lower end of the shaft. This screw may be provided with a lock-nut Z.

When this bearing is applied, for example, to the bowl-shaft of a meat-cutter and the members of the bearing become worn, the shaft-and the bowl settle more or less, allowing the bowl to grind against the surrounding casing, which is objectionable, and also increasing the separation Vbetween the bowl and the rotary cutters O and reducing the eficiency of the machine.V In order to restore the parts to theirf proper position and at the same time take upy the wear of the bearing, the shaft is first elevated to thedesired position by means .of the lifting-screw L, thus 'raising the adjustable collar I out of contact with the Lipper bearing-disk E, and then loosening said collar and lowering it, so as to bear upon said disk, after which the collar is again tightened and the lifting-bolt L unscrewed sufficiently to bring .the weight of the shaft and the bowl upon the ball-bearing.

Aside from its convenience of adjustment the bearing whenY used in a nIeat-cutter or similar machine affords the specialadvantage of permitting the bowl to be ad-justedclosely to the rotary cutters C, so as to obtain the most satisfactory results.

I claim as my inventionl. In a shaft-bearing, the combination with a support and an upright shaft, of an adjustable stop mounted on the shaft above said support, a bearing surrounding the shaft be- This socket is provided in its IOO tween said support and said adjustable stop and including rolling antifriction members, whereby the shaft is sustained by said bearing, and a lifting' device independent of said bearing acting` on the shaft, whereby the shaft with its stop can bc raised independently of said bearing and the stop then lowered to rest upon the bearing and support the shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. In a shaft-bearing, the combination with a support and an upright shaft, of bearingdisks loosely surrounding said shaft, the lower disk being sustained by said support, rolling antifriction members interposed between said disks, a stop-collar adjustably secured to the shaft and resting upon the upper bearingdisk, and a lifting device independent of said bearing members acting on the lower end of the shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. In a shaft-bearing, the combination with a support and a depending1 socket located on the under side thereof, of an upright shaft passing through said support and having its' lower end arranged in said socket, bearingdisks loosely surrounding said shaft, the lower disk being sustained by said support, rolling antifriction members interposed between said disks, a collar adjustably secured to the shaft and resting upon the upper bearing-disk, and a lifting-screw independent of said bearing members passing through the bottom of said socket and acting on the lower end of the shaft, substantially as set forth.

fitness my hand this 19th day of May, 1904.

EDVIN R. SMITH. ritnessesz C. F. GEYER, E. M. GRAHAM. 

